MONTREAL — It may be obvious: a woman usually wears a bra. She comes in many shapes and sizes: pear, apple or sometimes perfectly proportioned. So when she buys a dress, she needs a good fit, whatever her shape — and she will go back to the label that delivers consistently.

That’s what Simon Bélanger and José Manuel St-Jacques of UNTTLD, the design team of the moment in Montreal, learned when they teamed up with Julie Pesant of Éditions de Robes to create a collaboration collection of 13 dress styles inspired by their shared love of the Balenciaga archive.

Pesant, a seasoned fashion professional who opened her Mile End shop in 2012 to provide perfectly wearable, affordable dresses, took the designers under her wing to help them understand the needs of real women.

Most dresses arrived in store this week, and a few evening gowns have already been picked up for luminaries attending the Gémeaux gala Sunday night.

They will be luminous: the gowns are dramatic, sumptuous, sophisticated and wearable, one deep-V backless showpiece that absolutely cannot take a bra notwithstanding.

There are also four day dresses that go from 9 to 9 and two cocktail styles, mainly in black, but with burgundy, blush and navy options, retailing from $295 to $995. Two microfibre jersey dresses in the $300-to-$400 range are investment-worthy, go-anywhere, forever cool pieces.

That kind of mentorship for young talent — Bélanger turns 33 next month, St-Jacques is 28, and they have won a slew of prizes — is rare on the Montreal scene.

Pesant said she connected with the two emotionally and esthetically.

“They are young, passionate, intelligent and intriguing,’’ she said. “But above all, it’s their esthetic that won me over. I love what they make and I wear it.”

While the frocks are very much in tune with Pesant’s taste, she said the designs are all UNTTLD’s; she worked with the duo on fit and fabric supply.

“She’s really showing us customer care, how to know your customer and what she needs, how to make dresses for real people, and not compromising style,’’ Bélanger said of working with Pesant.

“You know, considerations like women wear bras — things that designers don’t think about because it limits what we can do.”

They also worked with Pesant to create patterns to fit every silhouette, he said.

“We want to dress people. We want to sell.”

A designer likes to let his imagination fly and push the limits of his craft, often forgetting the practical points of dressing, he admitted.

Every season, Bélanger said, he and his partner used to reinvent themselves. “But that’s not how you build a business. It’s exciting for journalists and fashionistas, but for actual retail, it makes no sense.

“We’re getting mature.

“The real job is to dress people, get the right product at the right price in the right hands at the right store.”

For Pesant, it’s important to give back to the younger generation. “I get back, too. It’s made my business more dynamic. It gives me energy.”

She hopes to continue the partnership.

Meanwhile, UNTTLD will have a chance to build a clientele of its own at a store in the fur district, on Mayor St., in the old quarters of Furb Atelier, opening at the end of October.

They say three’s a trend, and when it comes to collaborations the trend is at high tide. In the next week, there are two more team-ups coming to stores in Montreal.

Target, the U.S. retail giant known for its high-profile collaborations with designers like Missoni, Anna Sui and Jason Wu, as well as with Montreal’s Mélissa Nepton, debuts the Altuzarra collection Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 a.m. at all Montreal-area stores. Expect lineups.

Paris-born, New-York-based Joseph Altuzarra is known for fierce and feminine fashion. The Altuzarra for Target collection is consistent with his vision: shapely jackets and dresses, pencil skirts, skinny pants and towering heels, in velvet, python print, faux fur and a striking orchid print in black. It ranges in price from about $30 for a mock-croc belt to $79.99 for a maxi dress in black swiss dot. Some pieces from the collection will also be available globally on www.net-a-porter.com.

And La Maison Simons has tapped Montreal-raised model Irina Lazareanu for a 14-piece collection based on her personal wardrobe.

Lazareanu became a catwalk queen and designer favourite (Karl Lagerfeld is a fan) after Kate Moss cast her in a French Vogue editorial. She is also a musician, currently working on an album with Sean Lennon.

Her quirky style includes a penchant for menswear and bowler hats, caftans and cowboy boots. The collection, with menswear-inspired pleated or suspender trousers, jackets and vests, a roaring ’20s Gatsby dress and a sergeant jacket, ranges in price from about $35 for a sailor T to $125 for the Gatsby dress. It goes on sale in all Simons stores Monday, Sept. 15 and at simons.ca.

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If you happen to be in New York on Friday, Sept. 12, you might want to check out Danielle Martin and partners’ artistry in 3D printing. The Montreal designer, half of the Martin Lim team, will present a 3D printed tutu at the show Matter That Moves: An Exhibition of 3D-Printed Fashion. Martin worked with May-Li Khoe, Benjamin Cramer and Casey Rehm (on algorithms) after taking a master class in the craft. The exhibition is on Friday only at the Hotel Particulier in Manhattan. For more details, visit eyebeam.org.

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